Golden
by Lionus
Summary: There's a shadow weighing on the sheets that gradually inches closer to her own.


**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fairy Tail.

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Sharing her bed is no longer a surprise to her, not for a handful of years by now.

In fact, she'd be surprised to find the space closest to the window unoccupied. He's incapable of following protocol and decency sixteen hours of the day, but manages to work like clockwork the other eight. At this point, she's relieved she never got a dorm at Fairy Hills, he would just keep coming back. He was dense and determined like that.

Lucy stays quiet and still, not moving a muscle, to enjoy the moment. He usually beats her to the punch for the glory of being early to rise and harbinger of sunrises. Natsu's facing away from her, his shoulders rising and falling with the even breaths of deep sleep, the scar from one misadventure barely peeking over the curve of his neck for her to see. There's no one to see her eyes linger on the slope from his neck to his shoulder, so she focuses on the flexing muscles as heat ebbs and flows under her quilt.

The idea that, even in slumber he's constantly pulsing with the unbridled flames amuses her to no end.

For once, he is still enough for her to admire his sturdy form and reminisces in the countless times her arms had been haphazardly thrown and tangled around him. The boy in her bed shoulders burdens past his years and rebuilds worlds all at the same time. She wonders if he knew that he held hers, not on his shoulders, but in the calloused palms that fist near his face.

It's curious though, why hadn't she ever noticed his shoulders before? She'd lost count how many times she's woken up like this, so why does _this_ stun her _now_?

Her fingers flex with the will to recall, and it hits her.

He's shed his over coat so it won't wrinkle in his sleep and _somehow_ his treasured scarf has made its way entwined between her fingers and spread partially over her torso on top of the blankets. She must have looked cold when he finally drifted into her home.

The hair at her forehead tickles and shakes and catches on her eyelashes from tiny breaths she hadn't noticed before. Lucy's careful not to crane her neck too much as she gets a better look. Happy has found his spot on the pillows at their heads, his little body nestled amongst the wild bed head of Natsu's, his head of soft fur resting against her own forehead. She can distantly feel what must be a silent purr coursing through his body.

Lucy shifts to bury her nose in the proffered scarf to muffle her giggles, because Happy's uncurling his tail and it's gently sweeping across Natsu's nose. The action serves to make the dragon slayer fidget and grunt and attempt, in vain, to duck away from the treatment. They'll be awake in the next few minutes, so her peaceful time's cut short this morning.

The sun is bright and unyielding as it filters through her curtains and the dust in the air glimmers in the brighter slants of light. It's entrancing in the way her mind is still riddled with half dreams and restful sleep. She pulls her eyes from the spectacle to drift them lazily back to Natsu, and her observation rakes over his hair sprung out in all directions and the relaxed features of his face. He appears even younger when he is so at home and at ease, and there's a small dose of pride thrumming in her veins that she can give that to him. His jaw is forever strong and sharp and sure, though. The one feature that tips the scale and irrevocably shatters the image of bottled youth.

For the first time, her heart catches in her throat. A fish splashing aimlessly suddenly snatched up in a net, it wriggles and heaves from the shock.

How many more days will she have?

It's a nuisance at times, like when she's coming out of her bathroom in nothing but a cloud of steam to find him unashamedly stretched out on her bed, informing her that her baths take too long. Or when she's exhausted but his boundless energy is still so prevalent even at dawn, that zaps all _her_ energy the second she looks at him.

They're shallow vexations she doesn't nitpick as much as she used to. The times when he is quiet and imperceptibly wise to her harder days is what makes up for it. The bed is always warmer and softer and, conveniently, smaller.

But he's not going to be a her disposal forever. She's taken his quirky lack of boundaries for granted.

Lucy's been greedy and what if he's only returning out of obligation? Maybe he thinks she's latched onto him like a comfort blanket and he just doesn't have the heart to take that away from her.

_That_ line of thinking is ridiculous.

She can practically hear him telling her that himself with the cheeky grin and boisterous laugh reverberating in her heart. He comes back because she's Lucy and she is his best friend and he likes being by her side. It would be a bold faced lie to deny that it didn't factor in that he and Happy are too afraid they'll trash their place again, as she had put so much work into cleaning it.

By this time, Natsu's belligerently swiping at Happy's tail and the exceed is sniggering into her hair.

_How many more days will she have?_

There's a dragon sized yawn popping his jaw with enough force to worry her for a moment before she realizes she's about to get caught. Natsu pushes himself up and rests his upper body weight to his flat palms on the mattress. Lucy slams her eyes shut and pretends to reposition herself unconsciously from the change in weight distribution. The abrupt change has Happy rolling down the pillow and into the dip between Natsu's arms, mourning the loss of the warm spot and comfortable nest he'd built.

It's hard to keep the smile from her face.

Especially when there's a pillow suddenly slamming into her head and Natsu's fractionally leaning toward her with, "Faker." His groggy laugh is better than any birdsong as she squeaks and squirms deeper into the warm blankets, taking the scarf with her. "C'mon lazybones, we gotta mission, remember?"

"Aye!" Happy pops up into her field of vision, wings spread and floating over her face. He's already got his little pack tied around his neck.

"Oh, you're suddenly bright eyed and bushy tailed, cat!" Her words are half-hearted and more amused than anything, muffled by an ivory scarf with a familiar scent that floods her being and causes her heart to skip a beat.

Natsu falls back to the bed with a _thump_ of muscle meeting mattress, his weight forcing her to bounce off the mattress a little. He pokes at her side and edges closer until she's so lost in covers and evasive maneuvers that she hasn't a hope when she tips over the edge and her butt lands unceremoniously on the cold hardwood.

"Natsu!"

"I told ya to get up! Now get dressed so we can get breakfast before leaving!" He's jumping from the bed, right over her head, landing carefree to stretch out his back. There's something about seeing him in her house, morning after morning, slumped with sleep that settles with routine deep in her chest.

Maybe there will be more of these days than she ever imagined.

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**A/N:** All of my drabbles come out over 1k. More to read, though, right? Right. Also, I hope the summary line is okay.


End file.
